Wonders of Life
The Wonders of Life pavilion was an attraction at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The pavilion was devoted to health and body related attractions. It was located inside a golden colored dome between Mission: SPACE and the Universe of Energy. The pavilion officially opened on October 19, 1989, and closed on January 1, 2007. Although the space is sometimes used for special events, the attractions within have been closed and partially removed. History The idea of a pavilion devoted to health and fitness dates back to the original concept of the EPCOT Center theme park, but no corporate sponsor could be found to cover the costs. It was not until MetLife signed on that the pavilion was finally constructed, and it featured two main attractions: Cranium Command and Body Wars, the first thrill ride located in EPCOT. Also featured was a theater (home to The Making of Me), restaurant, and interactive attractions that evolved around the idea of health and wellness. MetLife ended its sponsorship of Wonders of Life in 2001, which lead to the slow decline of the pavilion. On January 4, 2004, Disney made the decision to make the pavilion seasonal operation only. It reopened when the park was projected to hit near capacity during the high spring months and Christmas season. The pavilion's most recent operational phase was November 26, 2006, through January 1, 2007. While the pavilion is not operational to the public, it is commonly used for private and corporate events. In 2007, Wonders of life shut down permanently. No official explanation was ever given for the closure of the pavilion, but it was speculated that it closed due to a combination of the loss of MetLife as a sponsor, poor attendance, and location. Lack of updates to the attractions and the pavilion itself were potentially factors as well. In 2007, temporary walls were placed around the existing attractions when Epcot hosted the Food and Wine festival in the Wonders of Life building. The "Celebrate the Joy of Life" and "Body Wars" had been removed during the last opening in 2009, and most of the exhibits had been removed. The pavilion also received a paint job inside in more mute colors, such as white and light green. It is unknown if any of the attractions will ever reopen again, although it is possible that the pavilion could be re-opened with the same theme, or even a new one, if sponsorship is signed. Currently, the pavilion is open seasonally as the center for the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. For these events, the pavilion hosts seminars, videos, presentations, and more. Presently, all attractions are shut down and their signs removed, and the state of Body Wars is unknown, but Cranium Command still exists. The theater that was formerly used for The Making of Me is still used for various movies and presentations during the events. Attractions *Cranium Command *Frontiers *Body Wars *Coach's Corner *Goofy About Health *Fitness Fairgrounds *Sensory Funhouse *The Making of Me *Wonder Cycles Entertainment *Anacomical Players Dining *Pure & Simple Shopping *Well and Goods Limited Sources & External Links *Wikipedia Category:Former Epcot pavilions